Sundowner - grulla Mustang stallion (photo courtesy - Cayuse Ranch) The Colonial Spanish Horse is generally a small horse, although size is increasing with improved nutrition and some selection among breeders. Tate Wakan - dun Medicine Hat Paint (photo courtesy - Enyol Farm) Distinctive conformational features include heads which generally have straight to concave (rarely slightly convex) foreheads and a nose which is convex. This is the classic Spanish type head, in contrast to the straighter nasal profile of most other breed types. Mexican Hat Dance - Medicine Hat Paint (photo courtesy - NW Painted Ponies) The muscling is characteristically long and tapering, even in the heavily muscled individuals, rather than the short and bunchy muscling characteristic of bulldog Quarter Horses and draft breeds.
		Conformation and Type in North America Text by Dr. Phillip Sponenberg, DMV, Ph.D. Illustrations by Natalya Zahn From "North American Colonial Spanish Horse—History & Type" The Colonial Spanish Horse is generally a small horse, although size is increasing with improved nutrition and some selection among breeders. The usual height is around 14 hands, and most vary from 13 to 14.2 hands. Some exceptional horses are up to 15 hands high or slightly more. Weight varies with height, but most are around 700 to 800 pounds. Distinctive conformational features include heads which generally have straight to concave (rarely slightly convex) foreheads and a nose which is convex. This is the classic Spanish type head, in contrast to the straighter nasal profile of most other breed types. The heads vary somewhat between long, finely made heads to shorter, deeper heads. Both are typical of Spanish horses. From a front view the cranial portions of the head are wide, but the facial portions are narrow and fine. The muzzle is usually very fine, and from the side the upper lip is usually longer than the lower, although the teeth meet evenly. Nostrils are usually small and crescent shaped when the horses are resting and at ease, but do flare with alertness or exertion. Note the slightly convex profile, clean muzzle and relaxed nostrils of the Mustang - all characteristic of Spanish horses. (Illustration - Natalya Zahn) The horses typically have narrow but deep chests, with the front legs leaving the body fairly close together. It is difficult to describe this aspect of conformation without making it sound defective, when in actuality it is a strong, serviceable conformation. When viewed from the front, the front legs join the chest in an "A" shape rather than straight across as in most other modern breeds that have wider chests. The chest is deep from the side view, and usually accounts for about half of the height of the horse from the ground to the withers. The shoulder is long and well angulated. The withers are usually sharp instead of low and meaty. Note: the narrow, deep chest; sharp withers and long shoulder; low set tail and lean, angular hips; and long, tapering musculature: each of these points detail the compact efficiency of the Spanish Mustang and help explain his superior abilities as a distance and endurance mount. (Illustration - Natalya Zahn) The croup is sloped, and the tail is characteristically set low on the body. The rear quarters vary from fairly massive and heavily muscled to a more slenderly built and less excessively muscled conformation. From the side there is usually a break in the curve of the hind quarter somewhere in the area of the base of the tail, rather than the full even curve of the Quarter Horse from top of croup to gaskin. From the rear they are usually "rafter hipped," meaning that there is no distinct crease at the backbone, but rather the muscling of the hip tapers up so the backbone is the highest point. The muscling is characteristically long and tapering, even in the heavily muscled individuals, rather than the short and bunchy muscling characteristic of bulldog Quarter Horses and draft breeds. Leg conformation is generally sound, with ample angles in the joints and strong, harmonious relationships between the lengths of the varying parts of the limbs. Hooves are small and upright rather than flat. The chestnuts (especially rear ones) and ergots are small or missing altogether. Contrary to myth, not all Spanish Mustangs have only 5 lumbar vertebrae - they may be more likely to exhibit this trait than other breeds, though many pure Colonial Spanish horses in fact have six. Regardless of vertebrae count, Spanish Mustangs are well known for their short, strong backs. (Illustration - Natalya Zahn) These horses usually have a very long stride, and many of them have gaits other than the usual trot of most breeds. These other gaits can include a running walk, single foot, amble, pace, and the paso gaits of other more southerly Spanish strains (Peruvian Paso and Paso Fino). These gaits refer to the pattern of the footfall, and not to any sideward tendency of the path of the foot. It is important to not confuse the pattern of footfalls with this lateral motion. While both are typical of the Paso breeds, only the pattern of footfalls is the actual gait. One myth frequently told is that these horses have only five lumbar vertebrae. They are more likely to have five than are most other breeds, but many pure Colonial Spanish horses also have six lumbar vertebrae, as has been demonstrated by work done in Argentina on Criollos, Thoroughbreds, Barbs, and Arabians. They do usually have short, strong backs regardless of the number of vertebrae. Dr. Phillip Sponenberg, Ph.D. teaches at Virginia Tech Veterinary College and is the author of Equine Color Genetics, the 170-page authoritative volume on equine color genetics.

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